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Originally Posted by KindnessNotBlindness
Zeek, thank you so much for the welcome. Before I respond to your question I will just say that being atheist has brought me so much peace after 34 years, I'm 36, of being in the "church life" and do not want to be persuaded back to religion. I think the transition was inevitable as I felt "God" or any other supreme being is wicked for letting people suffer and blame it on "Satan". I asked my mother if she would ever be okay with me dying or anything bad happening to me. If she would stop me from being harmed would she. I knew the answer to that question but I asked. If "God" has the key to Hades and he defeated the Devil then why am I hearing on the news about a 3 year girl clinging to her mother's lifeless body when she died in a flood. I am the victim of a sexual assault and I can promise you "God" was NOT there and neither was Satan. I was alone. No it did not make me a stronger person. I felt abandoned by this "God" that I had worshipped and loved and thought loved me. Things happen, I believe, for no other reason then things happen. Also, as a psych nurse who treats patients with auditory and visual hallucinations and see patients who are hyperreligious or who get on their knees to pray to a God who does not, will not, and cannot heal their sick minds I can assure you I no longer believe in this Hallucination. Being "in the Spirit" to me is a contagious phenomenon. Mind over matter, if you will. Reading the Bible I feel as though my patients could have written it and it would be the same. Just my opinion. Leaving religion behind was so freeing to me. I find that other atheist are wonderful people with good morals and good ethics. They tend to be nonjudgmental and kind to others. It is interesting to be a Black woman who was first in the LC and now atheist because I felt judged in the church life and now judged as an atheist because most Black people are raised in the church. There are more who are becoming atheist and I am happy this is occurring!
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Welcome KindnessNotBlindness. It's been a long time since I've been in the church life, but I'm not surprised at anything you've shared. To be honest, oddly, I find your sharing refreshing, en-light-ning, and reassuring concerning my views of the LC from long ago.
How you lasted so long in the church life I don't know. You must be a saint (can an atheist be a saint?
I think so). We've discussed somewhat why there are no female leadership in the local church. I don't remember, or think, there's also no black leadership, at the top, at headquarters (Drake or Evangelical please correct me if I'm wrong). My point being, sister, if I may call you that, you had two local church forces against you, if not, three, if counting the local church God force (it's a thing - "God made man in His image, and man returned the favor." someone smart said. (I can't remember who right now, and too lazy to look it up - google it).
And sister, again if I may, now you have another force against you : this particular forum. Don't get me wrong, it's not that you are a woman, not that you are black, but that you are atheist. This forum, bless its pea-oickin' heart, is waaaaay tooooo religious to be down with dat, if'n ya know what I mean.
But that doesn't mean your sharing can't be instructive, helpful, and maybe even en-light-ening. I, for one, would just love to hear more about your path from the LC to atheism. That, to me, would be of great interest. Please, if you could, share that with us. Please, pretty please ... with a cherry on top.
Also, may I invite you to the section -- the dungeon maybe, so thought of, -- called "Alternative Views." This main forum, LCD, don't care about your color or gender, but most would prefer you to be a believer. (It might be fun tho, and I admit I'd get a real kick out of it, to watch them, try to make you one. (Sorry guys and gals, brothers and sisters, or in between (very unlikely, so far, I think we need a gay section, as I know of gays in the LC, in the past, and even currently) but I had to say it ; not the gay thing, but the atheist thang. Atheists have social forces coming against them from most everywhere. Polls show, for example, that voters would rather have a gay president than an atheist one. Christians today complain that they are being persecuted -- yeah right -- but it's the atheists that are the ones being persecuted, big time, by the Christians, and all monotheist religions ; polytheists not so much -- maybe it's the "altar with this inscription: to an unknown god" factor that makes them more accepting.
Anyway sister, I'm glad you joined us, and hope to hear more from you. Share here, but get down to the nitty-gritty on Alternative Views, if that's your cup of tea.
Welcome again. Any exLCer is a friend of mine, regardless of where they've ended up, or haven't ended up (no one stays the same. We all change. Even the religious, tho less likely ... as those that think they have The Truth are a most stubborn bunch ... haha ... and change is evil to them, perchance. But that's a conversation made for Alternative views.
Blessings ....